Joined: 9/23/2012Posts: 86Location: West Branch, IAThe Des Moines water works is currently suing three Iowa counties at the headwaters of the Raccoon River for excessive nitrates allowed to enter the river via drain tile in corn and bean fields. This has sparked a statewide discussion about water quality in Iowa, where waterways are among the most polluted in the nation. Not being a lawyer, my understanding of the issues is rudimentary, but it boils down to this: Stream beds are owned and controlled by the owner of the property through which the stream flows. The water, on the other hand, is owned by the people of Iowa. Iowans are becoming alarmed at the dismal quality of our waters, and there is a faint but growing call for better regulation so PUBLIC PROPERTY isn't damaged by a few citizens who have no concern for the common good.

It will be interesting to hear what the court decides. Major changes in water management regulations could result. Fingers crossed.

“What more delightful avocation than to take a piece of land and by cautious experimentation to prove how it works. What more substantial service to conservation than to practice it on one's own land?” Aldo Leopold